WANJURU-YIDINJI FULFILLING CUSTODIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

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Wanjuru-Yidinji people are fulfilling their custodial responsibilities to care for Country through their work to improve local water quality and preserve cultural heritage, with help from two Healthy Water grants.

Jaragun EcoServices, in partnership with Wanjuru-Yidinji Traditional Owners, has successfully implemented two Healthy Water grant projects that deliver components of the Russell River Catchment Sustainability Plan. This holistic plan was developed by Jaragun, the Wanjuru-Yidinji Traditional Owners, the farming community, James Cook University’s TropWATER Centre and other key stakeholders. The Plan, which takes a systems-based approach to catchment management, is being updated through a joint project with Queensland’s Healthy Waters and Wetlands Team. Learn more about the update to the Russell River Catchment Sustainability Plan 2020-2035.

Jaragun’s first Healthy Water project ‘Protection of Jaban – Keeper of Water’ was focused on protecting Babinda Creek. This waterway holds the story of Jaban the eel, which symbolises the Wanjuru’s custodial responsibility to care for Country by maintaining water quality for all aquatic life through habitat protection.

Their second project ‘Bunda, Waray, Yurrbing – Mountains, River, Reef’ aimed to protect cultural flows from the foothills of Mt Bellenden Ker (Queensland’s second highest mountain), across the floodplains to the Russell River which are impacted by invasive tree species. In this context, cultural flows are about ensuring waterways thrive, so that Traditional Owners can continue to practice cultural activities and pass traditions and knowledge on to future generations.

The two Jaragun Healthy Water projects focused on improving water quality discharged from the Russell River Catchment to the Reef by replanting riparian areas with native plan species and controlling infestations of glush weed, pond apple, and harungana. These invasive weed species replace native aquatic habitats, reduce water quality and alter hydrology, ultimately impacting ecosystem function and disrupting cultural flows. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries assisted by trialling drone footage to identify weed infestations.

A key outcome of the projects was the employment of Wanjuru-Yidinji Traditional Owners to work on Country across Babinda Creek, Russell River, and Eubenangee Swamp – the catchment’s primary water resources. To stabilise Babinda Creek, revegetation was carried out using native plant species propagated from seed. Cultural heritage excursions were also held for the wider community to increase understanding of the Wanjuru-Yidinji connection to, and aspirations for, Country. Wanjuru-Yidinji employed through the projects also received exposure to a range of Reef water quality improvement forums, including field days held by Jaragun for stakeholders.

One of the key objectives was to protect the waterway systems feeding into the Russell River National Park and the Junction-Gallet creek system from further weed incursion, using various technologies to conduct surveys, monitor, and plan future control priorities. Wanjuru-Yidinji also received MangroveWatch training to record shoreline habitat conditions through a partnership with the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre.

These projects have developed the tools, resources, and skills needed to elevate Traditional Owners in waterways management in the Reef catchment. The projects also informed and provided a vehicle for holding consultations with Wanjuru-Yidinji Traditional Owners as part of the planning process for updating the Russell River Catchment Sustainability Plan. This involved an opportunity to ‘reset’ the water quality discussion with Traditional Owner values and priorities fully integrated in future water quality management plans for the Great Barrier Reef.

Find out more about Wanjuru-Yidinji Traditional Owners and Jaragun EcoServices.